Name: Talya
Rating: 5.0

Antalya

Muratpaşa

Turkey



Home reef Pearl Diving Center

Talya is also known as Pearldiving, home reef.

Talya

The "St. Didier" is known as "Societe" as well. It's a freighter build in 1920 at Livingstone & Copper shipyard with a lenght of 70m and a beam of 12m. She has been under French flag and has been confiscated by the Germans during WW II.
They used her, camouflaged as a hospital ship, for transport of supplies for their Africa Corps. On board have been Jeeps, guns, ammunition and other war materiel.
With an escort of one destroyer she tried to reach Africa, while permanently and heavily attacked by allied aircrafts coming from Cyprus. Trying to get out of these attacks, together with their escort, she came close to the Turkish shore. While permanently attacked, both ships rechead the area of Adrasan, about 40 miles southwest of Antalya. Meanwhile the "St. Didier" was heavily damaged and nearly unable to continue their voyage. The escorting destroyer had to leave the "St. Didier" in attempt to rescue himself. The "St. Didier" tried to reach the harbour of Antalya in attempt to ask for asylum in Turkey. They still had the permisson of the Turkish authorities to wait in sight of the horbour for asylum. Meanwhile the French crew throwed away their uniforms and renamed the ship to "Societe", in hope not to be attacked any more.
But they couldn't mislead the allied Mustangs. While the ship was only a few hundred metres off the shore and obviously in Turkish territorial waters, they continued their attacks and torpedoed the ship. Many residents of Antalya watched the attacks from the harbour and because many torpedoes missed their aim and one exploded directly in the harbour, one Turkish citizen was killed as well. Finally one torpedo hit the ship in an area where a lot of explosives were loaded. The following explosion lead to a giant hole in the ship.  While sinking, a lot of seamen died. The others reached the shore or have been picked up by Turkish fishing boats. In accordance with international rules they have been brought to a camp near Isparta, but without status as prisoners.

Today the wreck is lying within short distance of Antalya harbour at a depth of 20 - 32m. During excavations in 1946 and 1974, a major part of the ship's cargo was discovered, including ammunition and medical equipment. Although there is little left in the submerged ship, it is still attracting much interest from divers, and permission is required from the Antalya Goverment and Marine Police Department.



San Didier Wreck is also known as Societe Wreck.

San Didier Wreck

Cave dive

Site access is simple, in centrum.

Variant is also known as Konyaalti Varyant.

Variant

Can see lot of trumpet fish, skates, morays, flounders, shrimps etc.

Dive site access is very simple, in the centre.

The pirate bay is also known as Korsan koyu.

The pirate bay





Kemer Bay is also known as Kemer Bay.

Kemer Bay

Trigger Bay is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Turkey, Mediterranean, Kemer which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Trigger Bay

According to german magazine 'Unterwasser' 2003 one of the world's best dive spots!!!

Paris II is a freighter built in 1913 at the shipyard A. Normand in Le Havre for the shipping company Lobez, Poret ve Cie. in Boulogne. She has a length of 70m with a beam of 15m.

After WW I, as an ally of the Germans, Turkey has been amongst the looser of the war and so they began their liberation war primarily as a war against the European winners of the war. This liberation war ended in 1923 with the proclamation of modern Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
During that time of battles the French Navy has been patrolling through the Mediterranean Sea, frequently taking Turkish villages under fire. Amongst their fleet was freighter MS Paris II which has been converted into a battleship. With its two guns she attacked the fishermen's village Kemer what sealed her own fate.
Somewhere in the hills near Kemer has been an artillery battery under command of the famous artillery commander Capt. Mustafa Ertugrul. With more than 60 hits the battery sank Paris II. The French crew made it to the shore where the Turks expected them. They helped them out of the water and took care for the wounded. Later on the Turkish artillerists have been honoured for this mission.

Today the wreck is lying flat on the ground with the highest point at about 25m and the deepest point, at the screw, at about 32m. The wreck is very close to the harbour of Kemer and to reach within 10 min. It is easy to find because it is marked with a surface marker bouy from which a shotline is going down to the wreck. During descend this line can be used for the deco or safety stop. Usually the visibility is very good and the current low, so the wreck is easy to dive but because of its depth it is for experienced divers only.

Anyway it's a nice dive site, always worth a dive. 




Paris II Wreck

Very poor dive site, but shore rocks around are nice and wild.

From Kemer by boat

Kirish

Fish feeding. Poor to nothing marine life. Sandy bottom



Light House is also known as Lighthouse.

Light House

3 Islands - DeepCave is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Turkey, Mediterranean, Kemer which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

3 Islands - DeepCave

3 Islands - Aquarium is a 0-star rated scuba dive and snorkel destination in Turkey, Mediterranean, Kemer which is accessible from shore based on 0 ratings.

Talya

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Talya